Sooners Finish 2018 As National Runners-Up

2nd

198.0375

1

198.075
3

197.8500
4

197.8375
5

196.9000
6

196.8000

Results

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Highlights

Team Scores
	Vault	Bars	Beam	Floor
UCLA	49.2250	49.6375	49.7500	49.4625
OU	49.4875	49.5375	49.4250	49.5875
Florida	49.4125	49.5375	49.3375	49.5625
LSU	49.4625	49.4750	49.3875	49.5125
Utah	49.0750	49.2875	49.3500	49.1875
Nebraska	49.300	48.8250	49.2750	49.4000

High Scores
Event	Gymnast	Score
Vault	Sienna Crouse	9.9625
Bars	Peng-Peng Lee	10.0000
Beam	Peng-Peng Lee	10.0000
Floor	Maggie Nichols	9.9625

OU Team Highs
Event	Gymnast	Score
Vault	Maggie Nichols	9.9375
Bars	Maggie Nichols	9.9625
Beam	Nichols, Webb	9.9125
Floor	Maggie Nichols	9.9625

ST. LOUIS —An incredible season came to a heartbreaking end Saturday night as the Oklahoma women's gymnastics team finished as the runner-up at the 2018 NCAA Super Six in St. Louis.

The Sooners recorded a team score of 198.0375 but were bested by UCLA's 198.0750 as the Bruins won the meet with a 10.0 from Peng-Peng Lee on beam in the final rotation. For the 10th time this season, the Sooners finished with a score of 198.000 or better.

“Honestly we did everything that we could,” OU head coach K.J. Kindler said. “We handled that really tough rotation, first rotation on balance beam. Everyone responded when we had that mistake and did the best routines that they have ever done. We just kept fighting all through the meet. We've been in a couple of close meets this year and we fought through it and it felt just like that against UCLA and against Florida. We've been there before, and they never gave up. At the end of the day it just wasn't quite enough.”

Oklahoma posted scores of 49.5875 on floor, 49.5375 on bars, 49.4875 on vault and 49.4250 on beam during the Super Six. The Sooners have earned six consecutive top-3 finishes at the NCAA Championships.

OU finished the 2018 season with a 30-2 record and set plenty of records along the way, including its 10 scores of 198.000 or better in a season. The Sooners posted an RQS of 198.120, an NCAA record, becoming the first team to have a regional qualifying score made up entirely of marks of 198 or better.

“Obviously I am super proud of these ladies,” Kindler said. “But when you set the standard so high, they are disappointed. They wanted it. They worked for it. I mean it is hard to explain to them why they didn't get it, but you have to get it right on the right day. We were just a hair short.”

Starting with the same rotation from the semifinals on Friday night, the Sooners bested their score on beam with a 49.4250. Senior Stefani Catour posted a strong 9.8750 in the leadoff spot and sophomore Bre Showers followed with a 9.8750 of her own to get the Sooners off to a solid start. Senior Natalie Brown wrapped up her OU career with a 9.8500 in the No. 4 spot. Freshman Anastasia Webb and sophomore Maggie Nichols anchored with identical 9.9125s to put the Sooners in the lead after one rotation.

After a bye, the Sooners came out on floor with an incredible fire. Matching their Friday night score of 49.5875, the Sooners used three scores of 9.9 or higher for a 99.0125 after three rotations. Showers led off once again, posting a 9.8750 on a gorgeous routine. Freshman Evy Schoepfer had a solid night in the No. 2 spot, posting a 9.8875, including receiving a 9.95 from one judge. With her powerful tumbling on display once again, junior Brenna Dowell recorded a 9.9375 in the No. 3 spot. Webb added a solid 9.925 in the No. 2 spot while Nichols anchored with an incredible 9.9625.

The Sooners carried their momentum to vault, besting their Friday night score with a 49.4875. With four 10.0 start values in the lineup, OU utilized its strengths to extend its lead. Junior Nicole Lehrmann started OU off strong with a 9.8500, followed by a 9.8375 from Showers. Dowell was clutch with her stuck landing on her Yurchenko 1.5 for a team-high 9.9375. Sophomore Jade Degouveia set her career high with a 9.900 in the No. 5 spot. Nichols capped the event, matching Dowell with a 9.9375 of her own.

Down to the final rotation and with a slim lead, the Sooners would fight to the finish. Webb led off with a 9.8500, followed by a career-high 9.900 from Showers. In her final routine as a Sooner, Catour was elegant as always, posting a 9.8875 in the No. 3 spot. Dowell added a 9.9125, followed by Lehrmann's 9.8750. Nichols anchored with a 9.9625, receiving two 10s from the judges to cap off an incredible meet.